Secrets of the Heart
by Fire and Ash
Summary: She knew it was forbidden. She knew the consquences should anyone find out. But she couldn't change the way she felt about him, she would do anything to stay in the bubble of bliss she experienced when he was around. He made her feel alive. What neither of them expected was the dangerous game they found themselves trapped in. A Forbidden love between a Dwarf and an Elf. ThorinxOFC.
1. Prologue

**Elvish translations –**

 **Quel Andune –** Good afternoon

 **Adar –** Father

 **Diola lle –** Thank you

* * *

 ** _May 24_** ** _th_** ** _, 2769 TA_**

 ** _King Thranduil's Palace_**

 ** _The Woodland Realm_**

Beneath a large elm tree, in the gardens of the Elven King's palace, sat an elf maiden with flowing white-blonde hair, light violet eyes, pale skin and blood red lips. A book was lying open in her lap, forgotten momentarily as the elf stroked the head and neck of a young doe that had approached her not that long ago and was curled up beside her, burrowing into the warmth of her body.

The female elf knew she wasn't supposed to be in the gardens at that moment, as her father had requested her and her brother's presence at one of his meetings with his royal council. But, as she was known to do, she had made a quick escape before her escort could find her at her chambers and had hidden underneath her favourite tree—her mother's tree.

The sound of footsteps filled the gardens and she lifted her head to find her brother's disapproving gaze locked on her.

" _Quel andune_ , Legolas," she called softly.

" _Adar_ is not happy with you," he replied as he sat down beside her. The light haired elf pursed her lips and shrugged indifferently at him, her attention slipping back to the doe as the light brown animal stood up on wobbly legs before walking away, disappearing into the trees.

"When is _Adar_ ever happy with me?"

"Marissa, you can't keep this up," Legolas scolded, tugging on a strand of her hair. Marissa winced and tugged her braid free. "You know his patience will only extend so far with you. If you push him much further, he _will_ make good on his threat and send you to Imladris."

"I do not believe he will find my absence that terrible," she said smoothly as she closed her book and stood, brushing the strands of grass from her skirt. "He can barely stand to look at me."

"You know that's not true, father loves you." Legolas stood as well and reached out, taking her hand in his. "Sending you away would make him even more closed off than he is now." Marissa sighed sadly and moved in to embrace him, feeling his arms wrap around her securely.

"I will go and speak with him… but _only_ because you wish it," she told him firmly as they separated after a few seconds.

" _Diola lle,_ " Legolas whispered. He watched her walk away with a mischievous glint in his deep blue eyes.

* * *

Marissa hesitated outside of her father's council chambers, rocking briefly on her heels. She reached out and knocked on the door before she could change her mind. A quiet 'come in' sounded from inside and she opened the door, slipping into the chambers and closing the door behind her.

" _Adar?_ " Marissa asked carefully, staring at her father's back. The great elven king straightened up immediately at the sound of his daughter's voice and he slowly turned to face her, gazing down at her with stern eyes.

"You missed the council meeting," Thranduil said, silky smooth as he stopped in front of her. A look of innocence spread across her face and she smiled lightly up at him.

"I got distracted?"

"Marissa, you are a princess of the Woodland Realm, you have duties to attend to," Thranduil told his youngest child sternly. Disappointment flashed across his face, causing her to frown sadly. "How do you expect to achieve anything if you refuse to do as I ask?"

"I'm sorry, _Adar._ It won't happen again," she promised, shoulders slumping at the knowledge that she'd disappointed him yet again. "What happened in the meeting?"

"The Dwarf King Thror has extended an invitation to us to attend a feast and pay homage to him as a result of the finding of the Arkenstone," he explained, gesturing for her to read the letter on the table. Marissa picked it up and skimmed through it quickly. "You and Legolas will accompany me to the mountain."

Marissa's eyes widened in disbelief. She shook her head frantically. "B-but _Adar,_ I—" She cut off abruptly as he sent her a disapproving look. She took a deep breath before exhaling deeply. "I would be honoured to accompany you to the dwarves' stone prison."

"Very well. We leave before night fall, you should start packing your things."

Marissa bit back a series of protests and bowed her head as she left the room. A scowl settled on her lips as she marched away from the council chambers towards her own.

* * *

A few hours later, Marissa, Legolas, their father, Tauriel and a few other guards were riding out of the Woodland Realm and heading in the direction of Dale, which they would pass through before riding on to the Lonely Mountain.

The dark haired elf maid glanced back over her shoulder at their home with wistful eyes before a sharp command from her father had her turning back around to focus on the journey ahead of them.

"Are you alright?" Tauriel asked softly, gaining her princess and friend's attention.

"I'm fine, I promise… I'm just going to miss this place," Marissa explained with a small smile.

"We are only going to be gone a week," the fiery haired guard reminded her.

"I know. I'm just being silly, I guess."

Tauriel smiled knowingly at her friend as she reached out and nudged her softly. Marissa grinned back before challenging the other elf to a race. The two elves let out a stream of laughter as their horses nickered lightly and increased their speed in an attempt to beat the other one.

Behind them, Legolas smirked in amusement and Thranduil rolled his eyes at his daughter and guard's immaturity but forced himself to turn his attention to his son and started up a conversation about what could possibly happen at the mountain when they arrived.

Legolas made a bet with his father, saying that the dwarves would treat them like they were the scum of the earth and Thranduil claimed they would be polite on the outside, but they would be able to sense the disdain the dwarves held for every elf they encountered. The two male elves shook hands and increased their speed, eager to see who would be the winner of the wager.


	2. Chapter 1 - At The Beginning

**Author's note – Hey, I'd like to thank the people who have followed/favourited my story, even if I've only got the prologue and chapter 1 out now. I'd like to do a shout-out to Ivy of Mirkwood for being my first reviewer! :D (All Elvish and Khuz-Dul will be in Italics.)**

 **Elvish Phrases and translations:**

 **Tula Sinome** \- Come here

 **Mae Govannen** \- Well met

 **Mellonamin** _-_ My friend

 **Dola lle** \- Thank you

 **Lle ume quel** \- You did well

 **Adar** \- Father

 **Khuz-Dul phrases and translations**

 **Vaen** \- Beautiful

* * *

 _ **'We were strangers, starting out on a journey,**_

 _ **Never dreaming what we'd have to go through.'**_

 _ **\- At the Beginning with You, Richard Marx & Donna Lewis.**_

* * *

 ** _May 25_** ** _th_** ** _, 2769 TA_**

 ** _Just outside Erebor_**

A day later, the elves found themselves about half a mile from the doors of Erebor. Marissa was sitting atop her horse with a smile on her lips and her soaked hair plastered to her face, the group had been caught in a sudden downpour just as they had reached the borders of Dale and had been soaked within seconds… though the others were more irritated than she was, mainly because she absolutely loved the rain and they detested it.

"Why do we have to attend this feast?" Marissa questioned lowly as she rode in between her brother and father.

"You know why, Marissa," Thranduil scolded, staring down at his light haired daughter. Marissa winced at being heard and lowered her eyes respectfully as she always did when her father was frustrated at her.

"How long are we staying, _Adar?_ " Legolas asked, subtly shifting their father's attention from his sister to him. Marissa sent Legolas a thankful look before slowing down to ride beside Tauriel so she could start up a conversation with the only other female in the group. Tauriel smiled brightly at the princess and Marissa returned it readily.

"Princess," the fiery haired elf greeted.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Marissa, not Princess."

"My apologies… _Princess,_ " Tauriel teased. Marissa sent her a mock-angry look and nudged her roughly.

"Tau—" Marissa was cut off abruptly as her father called out to her and the female elves both looked up to find the fortress of Erebor looming over them. They shared mutual looks of amazement and Marissa was off of her horse and standing beside her father's elk the moment the group had stopped and a dwarf had approached, ready to take their horses and the Elvenking's elk to the stables.

"What do you think?" Her father's voice by her ear had her jumping in surprise. He chuckled softly and reached down, stroking her wet, braided hair gently. "You are more like your _Naneth_ every day," he said quietly after a few minutes of looking at her. "Such beauty."

Marissa stared up at him in shock, he _never_ talked about her and Legolas' mother, so to hear him say that she looked like her had her heart skipping a beat and her cheeks warming. Her father seemed to realize his mistake and his usual stoic mask slipped back into place and he dropped his hand before holding out his arm. " _Tula sinome,_ Mari." Marissa took his arm and followed him towards the gates of Erebor. Tauriel and another of their guard assisted the blonde haired dwarf in guiding the horses to the stable at the base of the mountain, mainly because they knew their king wouldn't appreciate a dwarf going near his treasured elk and because there were seven horses as well.

The other guards surrounded the royal family and walked with them towards the entrance. A dwarven escort met them at the gates and greeted them politely, bowing as was custom, though Marissa could see a hint of contempt in his dark eyes that was mainly aimed at her father, but remained in his gaze as he looked at all of them. She frowned but shook it off as they were led inside the mountain and through the long, winding hallways in the direction of the throne room.

* * *

Marissa's eyes were wide in awe as she gazed around her surroundings. On either side of them were statues of old dwarf kings in battle armour with axes clutched to their chests—they stretched all the way from the ground miles below and almost touched the ceiling. The wide walkway they were on led up to the throne, which had another walkway connected to it that led to passageways between the giant statues. There was another walkway behind the throne and two more just below where they were walking. The sunlight shone through the large windows before them and illuminated the Arkenstone embedded in King Thror's throne.

"Mari, pay attention," Legolas whispered as he pinched her gently. She nodded sheepishly and turned to stare ahead of her.

King Thror was sitting on his throne with his son and grandsons standing on his right with a few guards behind them and a couple more guards on the left hand side of the throne.

"King Thror, _mae govannen, mellonamin,_ " her father greeted smoothly.

"Welcome, Elvenking," the dwarf king replied, nodding his head. "I have had some rooms prepared for your party for the duration of your stay. I'm sure you'd like to retire and freshen up before the feast."

" _Diola lle,_ " Thranduil said in response, thanking the dwarf in his native tongue.

"This must be your son," Thror said as the elvenking made to turn away and the dwarves caught sight of Legolas and part of Marissa.

"This is my son; Legolas," Thranduil confirmed, tone full of pride.

"And who's the fair elf maiden?" All eyes turned to Marissa and she straightened up immediately, holding her head high as her father had taught her.

"She's my daughter." The politeness was gone from her father's voice and he held a hand out to her. " _Tula sinome,_ Marissa."

" _Adar,_ " she whispered softly and took her father's outstretched hand, allowing him to walk her to the steps that led to the throne.

"What's your name, my dear?" Thror queried curiously as he took in her white-blonde hair, pale skin, violet eyes surrounded by dark green dust and the dark green, short sleeved dress she wore beneath a floor length black cloak.

"Marissa… _heru en amin._ " She curtsied out of respect before stepping back into the safety and comfort that emitted from her father.

" _Vaen,_ " Thror said as he turned to look at his grandson. "Don't you think?" The dwarves around Thror chuckled deeply at his comment. Marissa frowned curiously, wondering what the dwarf king had said to warrant such a response. Her light eyes flickered up to the prince in time to see him nod slightly before he turned his incredibly _intense,_ stormy grey eyes onto Marissa. She flushed at the sudden attention and dropped her gaze bashfully.

"If it is no bother, we would like to retire to our rooms before the feast, your majesty," Thranduil interrupted, not liking the way the dwarves stared at his only daughter. It was also clear by Legolas' body language that he didn't either as he tensed, grabbing Marissa's hand and guiding her to stand between him and Haemir—her assigned guard for their stay.

"Of course," Thror said before barking out an order to one of the guards next to his throne. The armoured dwarf nodded and gestured for the elves to follow him.

" _Lle ume quel,_ " Thranduil whispered to his daughter. She smiled up at him, happy to receive his praise. She pulled her hand free from Legolas' and hooked it around her father's arm.

As they walked, Marissa risked a glance back over her shoulder at the dark haired dwarf prince… to find him watching her retreating form. When he met her gaze, he smirked at her in satisfaction as her cheeks turned an even deeper red. She smiled back hesitantly and quickly turned away before her father or brother could catch her staring at the dwarf.

* * *

After Marissa had been shown to her room, she'd unpacked her belongings and stuck the dresses she'd taken with her in the wardrobe near the door along with her riding gear and her riding boots and spare pair of slippers.

She glanced around her room with satisfied eyes before making her way to the door, deciding to go on a walk around the mountain to familiarise herself with her accommodations for the week. She walked through the hallways with eager eyes, taking in the portraits that hung from the walls in between lanterns that stuck out slightly and lit up the dark hall.

When she arrived at a staircase with two passageways on either side of it, she chose to go left, heading down a steep path and entering into a large chamber with a large variety of different gems and jewellery strewn about on wide work benches. The gold and silver gleamed under the candle light.

Marissa's lips parted in amazement and she walked forward until she was standing in front of the work bench, reaching down and carefully picking up a silver necklace with a small emerald surrounded by metal that twisted around it like vines.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Marissa yelped in fright, the trinket flying from her hand at the sudden voice. She spun around to find the dwarf prince standing in the doorway.

"I… forgive me for just barging in here, my lord," Marissa said quickly, scrambling to pick the necklace back up and put it back where she found it. "I was just exploring."

"There's no forgiveness needed, you're not breaking any law," he told her, finding her flustered expression to be highly amusing for him.

"I—uh, of course my lord." She looked away in embarrassment, and busied her hands by smoothing out a crease in her dress.

"So, you are the great Elvenking's daughter?" he queried as he walked closer to her. Marissa looked down at him and felt a hint of surprise at the realization that he was actually quite tall for a dwarf as the top of his head just reached her shoulder.

"Yes… and you are one of the princes, though, I am afraid I don't know your name," she pointed out.

"Thorin. My name is Thorin."

"Well, Thorin, perhaps you could show me around?" she asked mischievously, her violet eyes sparkling in the minimum light from the candles and Thorin found himself comparing them to the amethysts he'd seen the miners work with in the past, they were beautiful and practically glowed in the darkness.

"It would be my honour." Thorin gestured for her to walk ahead of him and she did so without complaint, heading for the exit with an excited grin on her face. She couldn't wait to get to know the dwarf prince more.


	3. Chapter 2 - This Heart of Mine

**Elvish translations**

 **Adar** _–_ Father

 **Amin mela lle, hanar** – I love you, brother

 **Mae govannen** – Well met

 **Naneth** \- Mother

 **Khuz Dul translations**

 **Adad** _–_ Father

 **Nadad(s)** – Brother(s)

 **(P.S. The song Legolas and Marissa dances to is called 'I'm Gonna Love You' by Jennifer Love Hewitt - It's the song their parents danced to on their wedding day and just before their mum died.)**

 **(P.P.S - In this fanfic, their mother is Lord Elrond's sister, by the way.)**

* * *

Marissa had been in Thorin's company for about 2 hours now, and so far, he'd shown her where the private library reserved only for him and his family was, the kitchens, the healing rooms, the armoury—at her request and the entrance to the mines.

"There is so much to see here, I didn't realize…" she trailed off, glancing at him briefly. Her cheeks flushed and a look of embarrassment crossed her face.

"Didn't realize what?" the dwarf prince queried half-heartedly as his attention was drawn to a passing dwarf with brown hair and he nodded back at them as they bowed.

"It's silly, really, but I-I thought it would be a lot darker in this place," she admitted, taking note of the way he smirked at her statement before she quickly continued. "I was under the illusion that all dwarves were withdrawn and positively vicious when provoked, and that they hated the sunlight."

"Who told you that?" Thorin asked with a displeased frown.

"One of my old tutors… he did seem to have _issues_ with dwarves though, so I don't find it all that surprising that he _exaggerated_ quite a bit," she said in an attempt to soothe his irritation.

Thorin was silent, his lips spread in a firm line. He turned the corner sharply and Marissa had to increase her speed to catch up with him. She glanced down at him with concerned eyes.

"I apologise if I offended you, my lord. It wasn't my intention."

"Let us speak no more of it," he replied finally. "I have one more place to show you before I escort you back to your chambers."

"Okay," Marissa said softly and walked past him when he held a door open for her, ducking her head slightly so she wouldn't hit it off the top of the doorway. They walked along the path in silence until a small light appeared in the distance and grew brighter the closer they got to it. She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glowing light until her eyes managed to adjust to the brightness. A few seconds later, she realized they were standing on a balcony that overlooked the city of Dale and the mountain below. She lifted her head and looked up, discovering they were near the top of the Lonely Mountain. "Thorin, this is incredible," she told him, grinning gleefully as she tipped her head back and the cold air caressed her face.

"I thought you might like it," he returned with a nod of his head. "I've heard from many a dwarf that your kind detest enclosed spaces and prefer the open. You can tell your kin that they are welcome to use this balcony whenever it pleases them."

Marissa dipped her head in thanks and tried to ignore the way her heart clenched painfully at his almost _offensive_ use of the words 'your kind'. She reluctantly turned away from the view and trailed after him as he began the trek back towards her chambers.

* * *

As Marissa sat in a large, cushioned arm chair by the glass doors that led to her own personal balcony, she held a book on dwarven history on her lap with tense fingers. She could help thinking that Thorin was just like all the other dwarves who hated her race and he was only acting friendly because it was expected of him or because he would turn on her the first chance he got and embarrass her in front of everyone… she didn't know what to expect.

A sudden knock sounding at the door to her rooms had Marissa's head jerking up in surprise. She paused briefly before standing and making her way to the door—she opened the door to reveal a dwarrow-dam with long red hair and a neatly trimmed beard with braids running through it.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely, almost tripping over the skirt of her dress in her haste to move aside as the female dwarf barged in without invitation.

"I was sent to help you prepare for the feast," the dwarrow-dam explained as she set about preparing water for a bath.

"Oh, uh… I was just gonna do it myself," Marissa told the dwarf awkwardly.

"Don't be silly, lass. T'is my job to serve you," the red head returned, not really paying any attention to the elven princess. Marissa pursed her lips at the dwarf's stubbornness but stood back and allowed her to work without interruption.

As soon as the bath was prepared, the dwarrow-dam turned her back to allow Marissa to undress before climbing into the tub and pulling her knees to her chest.

"What's your name?" Marissa asked softly as the dwarf undid her braids one by one.

"Jara," she replied swiftly before telling Marissa to duck under the water to wet her hair. When Marissa resurfaced, Jara got to work on rubbing fruit-scented liquid into her long hair.

"How long have you served the king and his family?"

"About five years now, my lady," Jara answered politely. Marissa bobbed her head thoughtfully.

"What's it like working for them?" Marissa quickly closed her eyes as the dwarf started rinsing the soap from her hair.

"It's a good job to have. The royal family are a kind folk to work for," Jara admitted, a smile pulling at her lips as she caught sight of Marissa's curious expression. "Though, little Dis is a troublemaker if I ever did see one. She is as mischievous as her older brothers."

"I assume Dis is the only princess then?"

"Aye, my lady. It's Prince Thorin, then Prince Frerin and Princess Dis," Jara confirmed.

"You can call me Marissa, none of that 'princess' or 'my lady' rubbish," Marissa said, holding her arm out at Jara's request.

"If that's what you wish, my la—Marissa," Jara returned, correcting herself at the last minute. Marissa smiled in amusement before taking the cloth from the dwarf and washing the rest of herself as Jara left to get a towel and give her some privacy.

Marissa rinsed herself before she took the large towel from Jara and stood up, wrapping herself in it. She stepped out of the tub and followed Jara over to the small stool that sat in front of a white vanity table.

"Seeing as I've told you about the royal family, perhaps you could tell me about your kingdom?" Jara asked curiously.

"What would you like to know?" Marissa's voice was slightly shaky as the dwarf roughly towel dried her hair and her head jerked slightly from side to side.

"What's… what is the Elvenking like? I hear he is rather terrifying."

"My _Adar_? Terrifying?" Marissa chuckled in amusement. "He can be quite intense and make you feel about two feet tall but he is not terrifying. My father is a wonderful king, he always puts his kin first and they hold great respect and admiration for him as a result. In my eyes, there is no finer king."

"He sounds interesting," Jara replied, pulling a thin strand of hair from either side of Marissa's head and braiding them back before joining them together and tying them down at the back of her head with a small gold ribbon. The rest of her hair cascaded down her back and around her shoulders in loose, damp waves. The dwarf then went on to decorate Marissa's eyes with black and burgundy—the latter to match the dress she'd chosen to wear that night for the feast. Her dress was a deep burgundy with a thin, silver belt around the waist and the short, thick sleeves and neckline were made up of silver with tiny crystals spread throughout it and the long, flowing skirt was sure to brush the floor when she walked.

"I'm glad you think so," Marissa started after putting her dress on. She sat down again and started tying the ribbons from her slippers around her legs, "because you're about to meet him."

True to her word, a knock echoed from the door and Marissa bid her father entrance to her rooms. The Elvenking strode into the room with quick, graceful steps and came to an abrupt stop when he noticed the dwarf standing behind his daughter, weaving thin pieces of burgundy and gold ribbon into the braids on either side—and at the back—of her head.

"Hello, _Adar,_ " Marissa smiled up at him. The moment Jara stepped back, Thranduil had cupped his daughter's cheeks and dropped a swift kiss to her forehead.

"Are you ready to leave yet?" he queried lowly. Marissa glanced to Jara and the dwarf nodded with a smile before she bowed her head and left the room.

* * *

"Where is Legolas?" Marissa asked, curling her fingers around her father's arm as they walked at a leisurely pace towards the dining hall.

"He and Tauriel are already at the dining hall," Thranduil explained. Marissa looked up at him in surprise.

"Tauriel is attending the feast?"

"I gave her and the others permission to join in on the festivities—they've earned some time to enjoy themselves, do you not agree?"

"I think they'll be most pleased with you," she replied happily.

Thranduil returned her smile with a light one of his own before it slipped from his face as they made it to the dining hall and the guards opened the door for them. Inside, there were numerous amounts of dwarves and only a small selection of elves—a few elves from Rivendell and Lorien had also made the journey to Erebor and they were all in the corner, conversing away with her brother, Tauriel and their other guards.

Marissa and her father walked through the crowd of dwarves until they reached their own kin. Legolas abruptly ended his conversation with their mother's brother Elrond to greet his father and sister.

"Mari, you look beautiful," he commented, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Marissa grinned. Their father smirked at their banter before he moved away to talk to their uncle. "There are quite a lot of dwarves here," she pointed out as she looked around the room.

"I believe it's mainly nobles and friends of the King's family," Legolas replied, following her gaze.

"You know what I find interesting about them?" she asked and took his curious look as a sign to continue. "It's that the women have beards as well. The maid that helped me get ready had one with braids running through it—it was _incredible."_ Legolas looked down at her in amusement and she crossed her arms over her chest. "What?" she asked defensively.

"Father was right, you really _do_ have a strange fascination with them."

"They're an interesting people, what's not to be fascinated about?" she retorted sharply, ignoring the smile he sent her as she pouted at him.

"You better put that pout away, one of the dwarf princes is staring at you," Legolas said, his lips curving into an even bigger grin. Marissa's eyes widened and she turned her head quickly, discovering that her brother was telling the truth and Thorin was watching her and Legolas talk rather animatedly. "Why does he stare at you?"

"I have no clue… perhaps you should ask him?" she suggested with a grin.

"What a wonderful idea, I'll go right now." Marissa's eyes widened in panic and she latched onto her brother's arm when he went to walk away, pulling him back to her.

"Don't you dare!" she growled, hooking her arms around his waist from behind to hold him in place.

"Mari, get off. We're supposed to be the Prince and Princess of the Woodland Realm and you are making us look like village idiots," Legolas said firmly. Marissa smirked triumphantly and loosened her arms slightly, though she still held onto him and rested her forehead against the back of his shoulder.

" _Amin mela lle, hanar,_ " she whispered softly, voice muffled by his silver tunic.

"I love you too," he replied, sounding awfully touched as she released him and he turned to face her. "I think we should find our seats, it looks as though the feast is about to start."

Marissa nodded, grabbed his hand and guided him after the rest of the elves as they headed for the long table near the door.

After the feast had ended, and the tables had been cleared—and the dwarves had sent her and her kin irritated looks for only eating the chips and vegetables and leaving the meat—a dancing area had been set up in the middle of the hall with the tables pushed back to make room. A long time had passed since the feast started, which led Marissa to believe that it must be well into the morning on the next day.

* * *

Marissa remained at her table, a goblet of dorwinion wine clutched tightly between her hands as she watched the dwarves dance away, most of them already highly inebriated. Her father, brother and the others had gone for a walk before they would come back to re-join the festivities.

"How much have you had to drink?" Tauriel asked lightly in concern as Marissa swayed slightly in her seat.

"Not much… a cup… or five," she admitted sheepishly.

"Mari, you know how strong that wine is," the red haired elf sighed. Marissa shrugged, looking at her briefly before moving her eyes away.

"Everyone else is having fun, I might as well do the same." Marissa glanced around the room, her violet eyes trailing over the royal family before they came to a stop on a small female dwarfling sneaking away from her brothers the moment they looked away for a minute to talk to each other. A wide, amused smile settled on Marissa's lips as the little dwarf spotted her and Tauriel and began approaching them slowly, acting as though they would attack if she spooked them.

" _Mae govannen,"_ Marissa greeted gently, staring down at the dwarfling as she stopped in front of her. "What's your name?"

"Dis, daughter of Thrain. Princess under the Mountain," Dis replied, puffing her chest out as she dropped her shy act.

"Well, Dis it's an honour to meet you," Marissa stood up before lowering herself onto her knees on the stone floor so she was closer to Dis' height. "I am Princess Marissa of the Woodland Realm."

"You're a princess too?" Dis asked in amazement before she caught sight of Marissa's silver tiara. "You have a crown!"

Marissa's eyes flickered back to Tauriel as the other elf chuckled in amusement at the little dwarf's excitement before the red head excused herself to go and speak to Elrond's daughter Arwen. "Do you not have a crown too?" she asked as she turned back to Dis.

Dis suddenly looked crestfallen and her cheeks turned bright red. "I did… but I _broke_ it. _Adad_ is getting it fixed for me."

"Well, while you're waiting for it to get fixed, why don't you wear mine?" Marissa carefully removed her tiara and settled it on Dis' head—it was a _little_ too big as the pearl on it rested between her eyes when it should've been in the middle of her forehead. "But you'll have to take _very_ good care of it, it's precious to me."

"Really? I get to wear your crown?" Dis gasped, staring at Marissa with wide eyes.

"You sure do, but I'll need it back before I leave the mountain."

"Let's go show my brothers!" Dis cheered over the loud music and talking. She grabbed two of Marissa's fingers with her small hand and started pulling her towards the top table where the King and his son and grandsons sat, drinking and chatting quietly amongst themselves—none of them seemed to have realized Dis was gone until she clambered up onto the table and knelt in front of her grandfather. " _Nadads! Adad!_ " Dis slammed her hands down on the table to get their attention.

The four male dwarves started and turned to look at her in surprise. Their reactions to the silver circlet on her head made Marissa giggle quietly—King Thror was frowning in confusion, wondering who his granddaughter had stolen it from, Thrain and Thorin were simply exasperated, making Marissa think that the little Princess often did things like this to get their attention and the other Prince, the one with golden hair beside Thorin rolled his eyes with a grin of amusement.

"Dis, _whose_ tiara is that?" Thrain asked with a sigh.

"The pretty elf gave it to me," Dis chirped enthusiastically and pointed back at Marissa, who quickly hid her smile and curtsied as the dwarf lords' attention was drawn to her.

"Princess," King Thror greeted politely, a smile tugging at his mouth. "Is this true? Did you allow Dis to have your crown?"

"I told her she could wear it for the week, though I'd like it back before I leave," Marissa aimed the last part at Dis, reaching out and tickling under the dwarf's chin. Dis let out a high pitched laugh and jerked away from the elf. "Just don't let my _Adar_ see, he'll skin me alive if he knows I gave you it."

"Why?" Dis asked curiously. Her family members seemed as curious as Dis was as their eyes remained glued to Marissa.

"Because," Marissa started, leaning in as though she was about to tell them a secret, "I'm just like you, I broke all my other ones and this is the last one. My _Adar_ said if I break this one too, he'll ground me to my chambers and I'll _never_ be allowed to leave."

Dis gasped in horror as her brothers, father and grandfather smiled in amusement. Marissa grinned, her eyes flickering quickly to Thorin and away again. The dwarf prince was wearing a royal blue tunic with black stitching and had two braids hanging down in front of his ears, held closed by two, large silver beads. He was also watching Marissa… _again._

" _Adad,_ can we keep her?" Dis begged her father. Marissa's eyes widened in surprise and she held a hand to her mouth to hold in a laugh.

"Dis, she's not a pet," Thrain sighed and sent the elven princess an apologetic look. "Besides, her family would miss her terribly, and she would miss them too."

Dis frowned, seemingly not satisfied with her father's answer as she turned to Marissa. "Can't you stay here in the mountain?"

"I'm afraid not, _mellonamin._ Elves were not made to reside within stone fortresses. But, if you grandfather allows it, perhaps I could visit every so often?" Marissa sent a hesitant glance towards the dwarf king. He sighed and nodded as soon as Dis turned and widened her eyes at him, pouting pitifully. "If you're ever in the vicinity of the Greenwoods, you are more than welcome to visit."

"Marissa! _Tula sinome!_ " Legolas called from near the doorway. Marissa sighed but curtsied once again as she left the company of Dis and her family and made her way to her brother's side.

"What is it?" Legolas' lips curved up into a cruel smirk and he jerked his head towards the dance floor. Marissa, immediately understanding what he was suggesting, shook her head rapidly, her eyes widening. "No. _No,_ definitely not. I refuse."

"I could get _Adar_ over here and _he_ could make you."

She letting out an aggravated sigh but forced herself to nod in bitter acceptance and allowed herself to be guided over to the dance floor. "Why do the Rivendell elves have their instruments out?"

"They were all too willing to play one of our _favourite_ songs," Legolas replied calmly, smiling when a look of glee covered Marissa's face.

"Mother and father's song?" she gasped. Legolas nodded in confirmation.

The elves in the corner of the room spoke briefly to the dwarves that held instruments as well, telling them to play along when they got the hang of the tune and, it was to Marissa's surprise, when Arwen stepped up and started humming the tune of the song, letting everyone know she was about to start singing. Tears sprung to Marissa's eyes at the familiar tune. Legolas bowed at the waist and held a hand out to his sister. She curtsied and took his hand, allowing him to pull her closer so he could set his free hand on her waist as she set hers on his shoulder and then they were moving, waltzing around the dance floor with ease. Legolas twirled her around and pulled her back in as he met his father's gaze over her head.

Thranduil stared at his children in complete shock, his heart thudding loudly within his chest—he had no idea how they even knew remembered this song, they had only been 30 years old at the time, the equivalent of a small child of the race of man when he and his wife had danced to it in front of them.

"Does this song hold some semblance of importance to you, Elvenking?" Thror asked curiously as he came to stand beside the blonde elf.

"My wife and I danced to this song at our wedding… and just before she died," Thranduil replied quietly, losing himself in memories. "They were only young when they saw us dance, I was not aware they even remembered this song."

"It must mean a lot to them if they have remembered it after all this time," Thrain input as he too joined the conversation.

Thranduil nodded in agreement and was moving towards his children before he knew what he was doing. Legolas saw him approaching and he quickly twirled Marissa away from him and towards their father.

" _Adar,_ " she gasped as she collided with his chest. He smiled proudly down at her in response and picked up where Legolas left off, guiding her around with practiced ease.

"I did not know you remembered this," Thranduil told her softly as other elves joined them on the dance floor and after brief hesitation, so did a few dwarves, following Marissa and Thranduil's lead.

" _Naneth_ had a music box made for me… with this song," she admitted, peeking up at him through her lashes.

"She never told me that… but neither did you."

"I-I didn't want to make you sad," she explained quietly, moving closer and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Talking about her makes you sad, so I just didn't tell you."

Thranduil nodded, placing his cheek on the side of her head as they swayed back and forth as the song slowly drifted to a stop. When the next tune started up, it was much livelier and had more dwarves crowding around them to dance.

"I think I'm going to take a walk before I retire for the night," she told him when they moved apart. Her father nodded and pressed a kiss to her hand before he released her.

"I'll have Haemir escort you to your rooms."

"No, don't disturb him, he's having fun right now," Marissa said, quickly shooting down his suggestion. "I can make my own way back. I will be _fine,_ I promise."

Her father looked ready to argue, but Marissa was already half way across the room before he could even open his mouth to talk. He rolled his eyes but made no move to stop her, knowing that she'd just find a way to argue with him. He turned away and went off in search of his son, who had disappeared somewhere.

* * *

Sometime later, Marissa stood on the balcony that Thorin had shown her the previous day, with her arms resting on the cold marble. A cool breeze washing over her every few seconds had her completely relaxed with her eyes closed and her guard down—meaning she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her until it was too late.

"Did you not enjoy the feast?" the sudden voice asked, causing her to jump, tangling her feet in the skirt of her dress and would've caused her to pitch forward over the balcony, had it not been for the large hand that closed around her arm and pulled her back.

"Thorin, you scared me," she gasped, hand clasped against her chest. "Perhaps you should call out or something next time, give me a little warning."

"I did call out to you, you would've heard me had you not been day-dreaming," he replied, sounding incredibly amused.

"Oh… sorry," she said, flustered. She glanced at him through intrigued eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I saw you leave the feast without a guard, which is not a good decision. Even within the Mountain," he told her firmly. She blinked in surprise at the concern in his voice and found herself nodding to show she understood. "I also came to give you this back." He held out her circlet and she immediately went to protest, to tell him that she'd made a promise to Dis that the little dwarf could have it for the week. "Before you argue, my sister took it off to show her friends and the little terrors would have torn it apart had I not taken it from them."

"Well… thank you, my lord," Marissa returned, reaching out to take it from him. She was taken off guard as he suddenly pulled it back out of her reach and lifted it up to his eye level. "What are you doing?" she asked, laughter bubbling up in her chest.

"This is good craftsmanship," he said instead of answering her, "the pearl is a nice touch, it certainly fits well with the silver."

"Thank you," she replied, a hint of pride in her voice. "My _naneth_ had it made for me."

" _Naneth?_ " he repeated in confusion.

"Oh, sorry, it means mother in elvish," she explained with a smile. "I sometimes forget not everyone can understand my native tongue… which reminds me, what did your grandfather say about me, when I was introduced to you and your family?"

"That's private," Thorin rumbled, his voice taking on a gravelly note. She blinked in response to his sudden aggressiveness. He immediately looked ashamed at his reaction and he looked to her with an apology written on his face. "No one besides dwarves are allowed to know our language."

"Oh, well, I guess I can understand that," she said and leaned her back against the balcony. "Not many are allowed to know my language either, aside from those with the title 'Elf-friend'."

"Elf-friend?" he echoed with a frown.

"An Elf-friend is someone, usually among the race of man, who was given the title by elves for providing special aid to them or forming an alliance to benefit everyone. They're usually only given to those who elves deem worthy of such a title," Marissa paused before continuing, "Perhaps I will tell you more about it in the future, for now, I am going to retire for the night. Goodnight, Prince Thorin."

"Goodnight, Princess Marissa," he returned and watched as she walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner before he turned back around and looked up at the sky, staring at the stars with tired eyes.


	4. Chapter 3 - Child of Light, Shining Star

**Author's Note – This chapter is for CharNinja LOL who wanted Thorin to go ahead and do something, so I've added in a scene between them that I think you'll like! :D**

 **Elvish translations:**

 **Ego mibo orch –** Go kiss an orc

 **Adar –** Father

 **Naneth –** Mother

 **Mereth Nuin Giliath –** Feast of Starlight or Feast under the Stars.

* * *

 ** _'She was like April sky, sunrise in her eyes,_**

 ** _Child of light, shining star,_**

 ** _Fire in her heart.'_**

 ** _\- October and April, The Rasmus._**

* * *

On their second day of staying in the Mountains—which was only about five hours after she'd spoken to Thorin before going to bed—Marissa was so hung over from all the wine she'd had that she'd barely been able to drag herself out of bed… until her brother sent Tauriel in to get her and the red haired elf had helped her dress before ushering her out of her room.

She'd been dragged down to the dining halls again for breakfast and was currently slumped against her brother with her eyes shut and a stream of quiet groans slipping past her lips every so often.

"I warned you about the wine," Tauriel told her unsympathetically. Marissa opened her eyes briefly to shoot a glare at her friend.

" _Ego mibo orch,_ " Marissa replied in an irritated whisper. Everything was louder due to her enhanced hearing and everything had her wanting to crawl back to her bed and stay there for a week.

Tauriel shared an amused look with Legolas before they went back to eating their breakfast. Marissa joined them after a few seconds, shovelling a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

"Where is father?" she asked curiously after taking a drink from her goblet of water.

"He is in a meeting with King Thror and some of the other Lords," Legolas explained, frowning at the state of his sister's hair—she hadn't even brushed it and it been allowed to become a tangled, knotted mess that had been roughly pushed behind her ears. "Did you not take _any_ time to make yourself look presentable?" he scolded and reached out with the comb Tauriel had procured from Marissa's room. His sister immediately began to struggle as he got to work on combing out the tangles. "Sit still, Mari or I'll sit on you like I used to when you refused to cooperate."

She immediately stilled, a grumpy look settling on her face as she huffed at him. The dwarves sitting close to them were smirking in amusement at both Legolas' words and Marissa's expression. Before long, her brother had finished combing her hair and started weaving intricate braids into her pale locks. Marissa looked to Tauriel as her brother worked and continued staring at the red haired elf until she passed over a piece of fruit—Marissa grinned thankfully and popped the grape into her mouth enthusiastically.

"There, finished," Legolas told her finally and she let out a sigh of relief, sliding away from him on the bench. "You act like such a child."

" _Ego mibo orch,"_ She sent him a firm glare as she repeated what she'd said to Tauriel.

Before her brother or Tauriel could respond, the clearing of a throat sounded from beside them and they all turned to find Thorin standing there with his arms clasped behind his back.

"Princess Marissa, I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me?" the dwarf prince requested politely. A smile spread across her face and she nodded happily, standing and following him towards the door, too busy engaging Thorin in conversation to bid her brother and friend goodbye.

The two elves glanced at each other quickly before they turned to watch their kin and the dwarf disappear from sight with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

* * *

"I'm glad you asked me to walk with you," Marissa said out of the blue as they made their way through the mountain towards her chambers. She'd invited the dwarf back to her rooms to share a cup of tea and some cakes Jara had graced her with the night before that she'd never eaten with her.

"It was my pleasure," he returned, his deep voice washing over her.

"I… I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much last night, but the wine I drank made my head spin a bit," she explained and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "We elves actually don't become drunk very easily—we have to drink a _very_ strong wine before we even become _close_ to drunk."

"It doesn't take much for dwarves to become intoxicated," Thorin admitted with a small twitch of his lips. "Though some dwarves last longer than others."

Marissa's eyes twinkled mischievously and she turned to him in excitement. "We shall have to have a drinking competition soon."

"Is it acceptable for elf maids to engage in competitions like that?"

"Yes, though it rarely happens, we prefer cheering the males on and making bets… but don't tell my _Adar_ or my brother, they would ban us from being there when the competitions take place." They reached the door to her chambers and she opened the door, gesturing for him to go in ahead of her as she turned to speak to Haemir in hushed Sindarin, letting him know that she was going to be having tea with Thorin and that she didn't want to be disturbed for a while. Her guard nodded in acceptance, though he sent a concerned look after his charge as she smiled at him before closing her door. "So, Thorin, what do you dwarves do for fun around here, except for mining for rocks and having parties?"

"We have annual competitions, sword fighting and the like," he explained as he accepted a cup of tea from her. "It takes place every Durin's Day and can last from 1 day to even 4 days, if your opponents are as skilled as you are. We have feasts on those days as well, and _much_ more drinking than the feast yesterday takes place on Durin's Day celebrations."

"What's Durin's Day?" she asked curiously, leaning towards him with intrigued eyes.

"It is the first day of the last moon of autumn and on the threshold of winter. On Durin's Day, both the sun and the moon can be seen in the sky together," he told her with a fond smile as her face lit up in amazement. "What about you and your kin?"

"What about us?" she said with a frown.

"You must have something you celebrate," he replied lightly.

"Well… we have _Mereth Nuin Giliath,_ " she grinned as flashes of the last _Mereth Nuin Giliath_ flickered through her mind. "It's also known as The Feast of Starlight or Feast under the Stars," she explained at his confusion. "All Wood-Elves love the light of the stars above all. We have the Feast of Starlight to worship the stars and the light and energy they bring. My brother and I's favourite star is Eärendil—way back when, the light of his star was _so_ brilliant that it hid all the other stars in the sky. Even to this day, the star of Eärendil burns the brightest."

"That sounds incredible," Thorin admitted with a nod of his head.

"My _Naneth_ loved the stars as well. She loved their light," she said quietly and tried blowing a strand of hair from her face without raising her head. She started and let out a gasp of surprise as a thumb and forefinger closed around her chin and lifted her head back up. He tucked the loose curl behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek. Marissa made the mistake of meeting his eyes and she was taken off-guard at the spark of desire that flashed through his deep grey orbs. Her hand reached up of its own accord and her slender fingers curled around his wrist—his thumb still rested on her cheek and the rest of his fingers were in her hair. "T-Thorin…"

" _Shh_ , it's all right," he whispered, leaning closer. Marissa's lips parted slightly and she watched him nervously as he got closer and closer to her. When their lips touched, a strange warmth filled her chest and her eyelids slipped shut. She tightened her grip on his wrist and pressed her lips more firmly against his. Thorin cupped her jaw with his free hand and his beard brushed her cheeks and chin, leaving light red marks whenever the coarse hairs scratched her skin. They parted briefly for air before moving back in for another kiss—Thorin tugged at her hair, tilting her head slightly to deepen the kiss and she let him, handing over all manner of control to the handsome dwarf before her.

"W-we shouldn't do this," Marissa breathed against his mouth but made no attempt to move away. "This sort of behaviour should only happen between a husband and wife."

Thorin pulled back to meet her wide green eyes. He smiled softly in reassurance. "No one has to find out, Marissa."

Marissa started in surprise, her cheeks burning as she grinned widely at him. That was the first time he'd called her by her name instead of 'My Lady' or 'Princess Marissa'. He stroked her cheek gently in response and she leaned into his hand.

"But I thought you hated elves," she said quietly, staring down at him. "Why would you kiss me like that?"

"I don't hate elves," he denied immediately, his eyebrows shooting up. "In answer to your question, I kissed you because I _wanted_ to. I would like to kiss you again, if you would let me?"

"I want you to kiss me again," she revealed hesitantly, cheeks burning. "But I don't think it would be a good idea."

"I understand," Thorin replied with a nod of his head. He stood up and brushed the creases out of his tunic. Marissa's face fell at his sudden dismissal and she looked down in disappointment. "Marissa, I will see you again soon."

Marissa raised her head to find him staring at her, she smiled weakly at him in response. The dwarf prince went to turn away and head towards the door when Marissa suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him back around before she knew what she was doing.

"Thorin. Kiss me… _please,_ " she whispered, already anticipating the feeling of his warm lips moving against her own and filling her with the same warmth as before.

Thorin moved back in, grasping her face with both hands and kissing her deeply. She set her hands on his sides and returned the kiss eagerly. Thorin pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. Marissa smiled softly and closed her eyes, just appreciating the closeness between the two of them. It had taken her completely by surprise when he had kissed her the first time, but something just felt so _right_ about it that she couldn't help wanting to kiss him again and again. It was just like when she first laid eyes on him and the only thing she wanted to do was keep him in her sights—something about the dwarf prince just drew her in and she didn't know how to deal with it.

"I should go. My grandfather will be wondering where I am," he stated quietly. Marissa's eyes flickered open and she glanced up at him, understanding flashing across her face.

"That would probably be a good idea, I believe Tauriel was going to visit me," Marissa agreed. She stood up and followed him to the door. Thorin bid her a quick goodbye and closed the door behind him. Marissa let out a loud sigh and slumped against the door, raising her hand to press her fingertips to her tingling lips. "I am going to be in so much trouble…"

* * *

By the time Tauriel had finally decided to stop by Marissa's chambers, the sun had set and the stars had made an appearance. The elf princess was standing on her balcony, arms resting on the banister as she watched the night sky. Tauriel knocked on the door before entering.

"Hello, Marissa."

"Tauriel!" Marissa started and spun to face her friend. "I did not hear you come in."

"You must have been in deep thought then because I did knock," Tauriel explained, taking the seat Thorin had been sitting on a few hours ago. Marissa smiled tightly and walked back into her chambers, choosing to sit on the bed instead of the other chair.

"You have my apologies," Marissa mumbled, resting her head against the post at the end of the bed, the sheer curtains that she closed around the bed at night were hooked back and cushioned her cheek.

Tauriel frowned at her in confusion. The elven princess was usually much more talkative than she was being at that moment. "What's the matter?"

"I did something foolish… and I don't know what I should do about it," the light haired female replied quietly, opening her eyes to meet Tauriel's hazel ones. "Or if I should tell anyone."

"Well, you cannot keep it to yourself that's for sure, I have _never_ seen you looking so forlorn."

"Can you promise you will tell _no one?_ Not even Legolas or my _Adar_?" Marissa asked firmly. Tauriel hesitated before nodding, knowing that she wouldn't get any answers from her friend unless she promised to keep it quiet.

"I promise I will keep your secret," Tauriel vowed genuinely. Marissa nodded as well and went over to join her closest friend.

"I believe you know that Prince Thorin was here earlier for a cup of tea?" she started, eyes flickering to the red haired elf—Tauriel nodded to show she remembered. "I was telling him about my _Naneth_ and Legolas and I's love of the stars and he… he…"

Tauriel's face tightened in anger, horror filling her chest as she instinctively jumped to conclusions. "Mari, _what_ did that dwarf do to you?" Marissa raised her head and immediately began shaking her head at the look on Tauriel's face. "Did he… did he take _advantage_ of you?"

" _No_! No, of course he didn't. He _wouldn't_ do that _,_ " Marissa assured her quickly. She grabbed Tauriel's hand gently. "H-he _kissed_ me," she admitted, her mind still reeling from the kiss she'd shared with the dwarf prince.

"He did what?" Tauriel demanded in shock. She leaned closer to the princess as she gripped Marissa's hand tightly.

"He kissed me and I didn't stop him," Marissa replied, suddenly feeling smaller than she had done in years. "I kissed back and then when he went to leave, I asked him to kiss me again."

"I-I can't believe you kissed him," Tauriel gasped, her eyes filled with surprise and then curiosity took over and she leaned even closer to her friend. "What was it like?" she asked and suddenly the two of them were no longer princess and captain of the guard, they were just two normal elf maids gushing about romance.

"It felt natural. His lips were surprisingly soft and… and _warm,_ " Marissa explained with a soft smile. "His beard scratched my chin and cheeks but it actually felt quite nice. I… I _liked_ kissing him." Her smile widened, turning into a grin. "He was gentle with me, like I was a jewel he had found. He touched my hair."

"You _let_ him?" Tauriel's lips parted in amazement. In their race, the only males that were allowed to touch or braid a female's hair were their brothers and fathers—in-laws also included. It was considered a sign of great _trust_ to allow a non-related male to touch their hair. It was a _great_ honour for the male to be given such a gift. "Why would you do that?"

"It felt right," she admitted quietly, her fingers brushing against the places Thorin had touched her and the strands of hair he had grabbed. "I… enjoyed it, even though I _know_ I shouldn't have. But I couldn't help it."

"Are you going to let him do it again?" Tauriel queried. Marissa's cheeks turned a deep red and she lowered her head bashfully.

"I… I wouldn't be _opposed_ to it," she replied, her voice going up a notch. "If something did happen between us, I would have your _word_ that you won't tell my brother or father, you know how they get, they are _extremely_ over-protective."

"I swear I won't, but if something bad happens, I will go straight to them," Tauriel told her seriously. Marissa nodded in acceptance, knowing that her friend meant every word of it. "Marissa, I want you to be careful. You are my best friend, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be careful," Marissa promised lightly. She looked down as she pulled her hand free and clasped them tightly on her lap. "But I can tell you now that I won't get hurt, it was only a kiss. It doesn't mean anything will come of it."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Tauriel said roughly, gaining Marissa's immediate attention. "Please don't get your hopes up, Mari. I've seen plenty of elf maids in your situation and each and every one of them has had their hearts broken."

"I know… and all of them have sailed for the Undying Lands," Marissa finished in a whisper. The two elves fell silent, each of them contemplating the situation and both of them hoping that it wouldn't end badly.


	5. Chapter 4 - Sneaking Away

**Elvish Translations –**

 **Otuuk Fe`Saign** **–** Warg Kisser

 **Nadorhuan** **(nim) _–_** Cowardly dog(s)

 **Adar** ** _–_** Father

* * *

 **'It didn't start this way, it happened just one day**

 **You smiled at me and I saw you differently.'**

 **\- I'm Gonna Love You, Jennifer Love Hewitt**

* * *

 ** _May 27_** ** _th_** ** _, 2769 TA_**

 ** _Erebor_**

Three days later found Marissa sneaking away—once again—from dinner with her father and brother so she could meet Thorin at their designated meeting place. She darted through the hallways, dodging numerous dwarves on the way. The skirt of her dress tangled with her legs, almost sending her crashing to the floor until she straightened them out and they flew out behind her instead. She reached her destination minutes later and skidded to an abrupt stop in the abandoned room just off the main hallways.

"I am so sorry I'm late," she breathed out, her cheeks flushed from the running she'd done. She approached Thorin with slow steps and dropped down into the chair next to him.

"I was late myself—my father insisted I attend a meeting with him," Thorin replied, the hint of a smile lighting up his features.

"I hope all is well," she told him honestly before he leaned down and kissed her firmly, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks. "I've missed you," she whispered, a quiet moan escaping as he tugged at her hair.

"I missed you too," Thorin admitted. Marissa smiled into the kiss as her hands moved up to settle on his chest, right over his heart. "Too long has passed since we last met."

"It has only been a day, Thorin," she said with a light laugh. He smirked in response, his thick fingers brushing over the braid at the top of her head that stretched down towards her left ear.

"Too long as far as I'm concerned," he murmured. He leaned in and brushed a lingering kiss to her forehead. Marissa closed her eyes at the action, her fingers clutching the rough material of his armour.

The two of them fell silent, content to bathe in each other's comfort and enjoy their company. A flash of silver caught Marissa's attention when she reopened her eyes and she carefully brushed Thorin's hair aside to reveal a thick, long silver clasp attached to his ear.

"I did not know you had an ear piercing," she uttered quietly. Thorin met her eyes and smiled in amusement.

"I got it pierced on one of my name days… though I do not remember which one."

"How not?" she asked curiously as she trailed a finger over the clasp.

"My friends and I snuck out to Dale and drank until we couldn't walk straight," he explained. "Which is something that occurs on most of my name days."

"That sounds rather wild," Marissa murmured softly. Thorin chuckled, nodding his head. "Tauriel and I usually steal a few bottles of my father's wine on our name days and hide away in my chambers of the gardens."

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Thorin questioned, glancing up at her.

"Oh… uh, I'm…" she mumbled something unintelligible under her breath and looked away in embarrassment.

"Pardon?"

Marissa's cheeks turned bright pink and she continued to gaze at a spot behind Thorin's shoulder. The dwarf prince reached out, catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You don't need to be so embarrassed."

"You're going to laugh… or think I'm _ancient,_ " she grumbled in reply, though she did raise her eyes to meet his stare. " _Fine._ I'm 2,681 years old. My brother's a year older… though many of our kin see us as twins as there's only a year between us and most elves leave a good few hundred years between children."

"…You _are_ ancient," Thorin said finally, and Marissa was about to take offence to it until she saw the teasing grin playing at his lips. She frowned and slapped his chest roughly.

"That wasn't funny," she pointed out. Thorin shrugged and wiped the frown from her face as he kissed her abruptly. "Don't think you're getting out of this—I've told you my age, now it's your turn," she mumbled against his lips.

"I'm 24," he said without hesitating. Marissa's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really?" she asked curiously.

"What of it?"

"Nothing… it's just, in my race, when an elf is in their twenties, it's the same as a child from the race of man being about 7 years old," she explained as her fingers moved back to his ear to trace the pattern on his ear clasp.

"Are you calling me a child?"

"Of course not. I was merely stating that were you an _elf_ you would be classed as an elfling."

Thorin nodded hesitantly at her words and decided to drop it in favour of taking her hand and holding it against his face. Marissa smiled, her fingers lightly brushing against his dark beard.

"Your braids are lovely," she said, the fingers of her free hand trailing over the two braids under his chin that were joined together with a large silver clasp.

"Thank you," he replied proudly. Marissa snorted at his expression and released his braid. Her other hand was still cupping his bearded cheek.

"I'm glad father made me come here," she stated suddenly, taking the prince off guard.

"I'm glad too, princess," Thorin murmured before capturing her lips in a lingering kiss.

* * *

"Hello, _Adar,_ " Marissa smiled up at her father as he closed the door to her chambers behind him. "Is everything all right?" she asked, catching sight of the stressed look on his face.

"That dwarf is _completely_ insufferable," Thranduil griped in reply. Marissa covered a small laugh with a cough as she headed for the vanity table to fetch the jug of wine Tauriel had brought her and two cups. She handed one to her father and kept one to herself before pouring them both a cup.

"I assume you mean King Thror? What's he done?"

"He takes every opportunity he can to insult me and the ones I care about and the others find it incredibly amusing… I was doing all I _could_ do to keep from strangling his short little neck."

Marissa let a laugh slip out at her father's confession, though part of her was irritated at the dwarves for bullying her father. "I would pay to see that."

"I know you would. You and Tauriel's love for gambling money away is getting ridiculous." Her father rolled his eyes and took a seat at the dining table, setting his cup down with a small clunk.

"But this would be a good one to bet on—I know for a fact that you would win. You could beat that silly old dwarf blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back," she said honestly, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind.

"Such flattery you bestow upon me," Thranduil replied with a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Not my fault if it's true," she countered, shrugging playfully before she turned serious, sighing softly as she rested her cheek against the side of her father's head. "What were they saying about you?"

"Apparently they do not realize that I can understand their language perfectly and I heard every word clearly."

"What did they say, _Adar_?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"That I'm the offspring of an Orc…" Thranduil trailed off, shaking his head tiredly. Marissa's arms tightened briefly around his neck before loosening again. She rubbed her cheek against his pale hair in a comforting manner. "So, I called the King a _Otuuk fe`saign_ and the rest of them _Nadorhuan Nim."_

Marissa's lips twitched as she tried to prevent a laugh from escaping. She eventually gave in, and the room filled with her loud, amused laughter. Her father joined in with a few chuckles of his own.

"T-they must have been so confused at your insults," she giggled, grateful that the dwarves didn't know any of their language.

"They did look rather startled. They obviously didn't know that I can give as good as I get."

"That you can," Marissa mumbled with a smile.

"I must be off now." Thranduil patted his daughter's arm until she let go of him and he stood up, drinking the rest of his wine before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Your brother said he and Tauriel might come by later to spend time with you after they've been to Dale."

"All right," she said softly, watching her father as he quietly left the room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Come on, Marissa," Arwen urged with a grin, tugging at her cousin's arm. "It'll be _fun._ "

"Fine. If I must," Marissa relented with a heavy sigh as she allowed the slightly taller female to pull her into the group of dancing elf maids. Arwen's brothers were sitting on the table, playing their fiddles with matching grins on their faces. The female elves in the room were mainly from Rivendell but Marissa could see Tauriel's flaming red hair on the other side of the room as she was also talked into dancing. "Who even gave you permission to use this room?"

"No one," Arwen said smugly, "we just decided to take it."

"Fair enough!" Marissa let out a loud laugh as Arwen grabbed one of her hands and another elf took her and Arwen's free ones and they all started spinning in a wide circle. The music grew louder as more of their kin appeared with instruments in hand and began playing alongside the fiddles. "I-I admit you were right, this is fun!"

"Told you so!" Arwen replied, releasing Marissa's hand to make room for more elves to join them. After a few more spins, they started ducking under each other's arms and twirling around to prevent themselves from getting tangled with each other and then they went straight back to twirling around the room.

Marissa eventually managed to free herself from the circle and she staggered over to Elladan and Elrohir, her cheeks bright red and her eyes alight with happiness.

"Elro, Ellad, come join us," she ordered. Elladan shook his head immediately, stating that he'd rather continue playing his fiddle but Elrohir was quick to stand up and take his cousin's hand, following her back to the others. "I'm glad to see one of you knows how to have fun," she teased with a grin. Elrohir returned it readily and twirled her around.

"I always was the more fun of the two of us," he replied. Marissa snorted in amusement and almost lost her footing as he suddenly spun her out and pulled her back in before dipping her backwards.

"Are you trying to make me fall over?" she gasped in surprise.

"No, I'm trying to show the dwarf over there that you're a good dancer… and maybe, just _maybe_ he'll get over his stubbornness and ask you to dance," Elrohir replied slyly. Marissa's eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder at the door, where Thorin and his brother were watching them. She smiled shyly at Thorin, and he returned it briefly before she turned back to her cousin.

"I don't know what you mean," she lied immediately, trying to hide her flaming face.

"I think you do. I've seen that dwarf stare at you whenever you walk by and I've seen the way you look at him too," Elrohir explained softly, meeting her wide eyes. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

"I… I don't know what I feel," she admitted, following him as he led her over to the window at the far end of the room. Her cousin opened them and Marissa sighed in relief as the cold air washed over her. "I like spending time with him and he makes me feel warm inside. It's like he's filled a hole inside of me that I didn't even know was there."

"Mari, is he… is he your _one?_ "

"M-my one?" she asked softly. She glanced back over her shoulder at Thorin and felt butterflies flutter in her stomach as he sent a bright, fond smile in her direction. "I don't know. But I hope so."


	6. Chapter 5 - The Rift

**_'No one knows exactly what began the rift. The elves say the dwarves stole their treasure. The dwarves tell another tale - they say the elf-king refused to give them their rightful pay_. _It is sad, Frodo, how old alliances can be broken, how friendships between peoples can be lost... and for_ what _?'_**

 ** _-_ _Bilbo Baggins_ , _The_ _Hobbit_ _:_ _An Unexpected_ _Journey_.**

* * *

 ** _Elvish translations:_**

 **Adar –** Father

 ** _Dwarvish Translations:_**

 **Nadad -** Brother

 **Adad –** Father

 **Ugmil'adad –** Grandfather

 **Gimlelul –** My brightest star

 **My Aon –** My one

* * *

May 28th, 2769 TA

Erebor

"Thorin!" Frerin called joyfully as he caught sight of his older brother standing on the balcony facing the city of Dale. "What are you doing our here, _Nadad_?"

"I was just thinking," Thorin replied quietly as he reached out and patted his brother's shoulder.

"About a certain elf maid with flowing hair the colour of snow and beautiful violet eyes, I presume?" The golden haired prince asked teasingly.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you're talking about."

Frerin's features softened as he met his brother's gaze. "I'm no fool, Thorin. I saw the way you looked at her… and I know you've been sneaking around with her."

"H-how?" Thorin questioned, slightly panicked.

"I am the eyes and ears of this place," Frerin grinned. Thorin rolled his eyes and turned back to the balcony. "What exactly is going on between you and the elf maid?"

"I do not know," Thorin admitted with a heavy sigh. "It doesn't really matter, does it? You know _Adad_ and _Ugmil'adad_ will never allow it. Neither will her father."

Frerin clapped his brother on the shoulder, causing Thorin to look up at him curiously. "Do not think about them," Frerin encouraged. "If you _truly_ care about the elf and you can see a future with her, then you should go for it. Do what makes _you_ happy."

Thorin pondered his brother's words, and suddenly, he could see himself about 10 years from then with Marissa by his side as they watch their children play games and run around, screaming and laughing, and _both_ he and the elf princess had wide, _undeniably_ happy smiles on their faces.

"She's my one," Thorin stated abruptly in surprise. Frerin blinked dumbly for a few seconds before he beamed widely at his brother.

"Then go get her!" Frerin said loudly, punching Thorin's arm roughly.

Thorin nodded and started walking, a dazed look on his face as he reached the end of the corridor and turned the corner.

"What a dopey fool!" Frerin chortled as, he too, walked away from the balcony.

* * *

Marissa hummed quietly under her breath as she strolled through the corridors aimlessly. Her father and brother had gone to Dale for the morning and early afternoon and Tauriel was helping Arwen pack her belongings as the time had come for the elves to go back to their homes.

Marissa didn't want to leave, she truly didn't. She wanted to stay in the mountain and be with Thorin. Even though she knew her father would _never_ allow it and he would _never_ allow her to be with Thorin, no matter how much she wanted it.

The sound of something being thrown caught her attention and she slowly walked forward, ducking her head as she went through a door made of dark green marble.

She took a few steps forward and found herself in an enormous chamber full to the brim with golden treasure. The gold covered every inch of the floor, and Marissa couldn't tell where the floor was because there was so much gold in there.

In—what she assumed was—the centre of the chamber was the dwarf king. He was standing there, just staring at the mountains upon mountains of gold. Merissa hesitated before slowly making her way down to the king.

"Your majesty?" she asked softly. Thror started and spun to face her, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Lady Marissa," Thror greeted dully.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked, frowning in concern.

"It is easier to think, down here… amongst the gold."

Marissa's frown grew in size and she walked over to him, lowering herself to sit down on a pile of gold. Thror followed her lead before running his fingers over a golden goblet at his feet.

"Maybe it would help to talk to someone about what's bothering you?" she suggested gently. Thror paused, assessing her briefly before nodding in agreement.

"I find myself thinking about my late wife," he started, "she has been haunting my thoughts as of late."

"What was she like?"

"Osania was her name. She was one of the finest dwarrow-dams I've ever laid my eyes on. She never took no for an answer—something she got from her mother. But she had a big heart and everyone loved her," Thror explained, a smile spreading across his face. Marissa was happy to see the dark gleam in his eyes fade as he spoke of his wife. "She hated my guts at first, took every opportunity to prank me. One time, she dyed my beard—I was stuck with a bright pink beard for weeks. I eventually won her over… when I discovered that she didn't want fancy flowers or jewels or sweets."

"What _did_ she want?" Marissa asked, eyes bright with interest.

"She wanted the simple things; a picnic in the forest, taking walks together and just being ourselves without having to act like a prince and a maid."

"She was a maid?" Marissa said in surprise, a smile tugging at her lips. "How did you meet her?"

"We ran into each other one day and she spilled a bowl of stew down my front, and then she started yelling at me, telling me to watch where I was going—I knew right away that she was my one and only."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," Thror confirmed. Marissa blinked in surprise, her lips parting as she tried to think of something to say. "I could feel it in my heart. She filled a hole in me I didn't even know I had."

"I should go," she said finally. Thror smiled up at her as she rose to her feet. "Thank you, for making me see."

"See what?" Thror frowned in confusion.

"That my cousin was right," she replied before hiking up her skirt and running for the door.

* * *

Marissa closed the door behind her with a soft click and a sigh. She'd been all over the mountain, looking for a certain dwarf prince but she'd had no luck finding him, so she'd just retired to her rooms so she could finish packing her belongings.

"Marissa?"

A startled yelp escaped and she spun around to find Thorin standing there by her bed. Marissa's eyes widened in shock and she blinked at him dumbly.

"Thorin? What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to see you," he admitted with a light smile. Marissa's cheeks turned bright pink as he took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. He then pulled a small bundle of Plumeria flowers out from behind his back and handed them to her with a flourish, bowing slightly at the waist.

"They're beautiful. Thank you," she smiled back at him, taking the flowers and lifting them to her nose, breathing in the sweet fragrance before setting them carefully on the table.

"They're from Dale," Thorin explained as he sat beside her on the bed.

"You went all that way for me?" she asked, touched. Thorin nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Marissa leaned in and kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "You're so kind."

"I'm glad you like them," he replied, chest puffing out with pride at the knowledge that she found him kind and that she liked his gift—which took him hours to find.

Marissa smiled softly, her heart skipping a beat as he took her hand, linking their fingers together. She couldn't help feeling happy that their hands fit together so perfectly.

"I wish I didn't have to leave," she whispered. "I'm going to miss you."

"I know," he replied quietly, stroking her knuckles with his large thumb.

"Can I write to you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way," he assured her before whispering, "You're _Gimlelul,_ Marissa. My _aon._ "

"What does that mean?"

"If you promise not to tell anyone, then I'll tell you," he bargained, knowing he wasn't supposed to divulge the secret of his language to an outsider. But, what was the point giving her compliments of endearment when she couldn't actually understand what he was saying.

"I won't tell a soul, you have my word."

"… _Gimlelul,_ means my brightest star," Thorin explained. Marissa lifted her head and stared at him in shock. "My _aon_ means my one."

"Y-your one?"

"Yes." Thorin nodded and there was no trace of doubt or trickery on his face. Marissa leaned in and kissed him firmly—he returned it after a brief pause of surprise.

"I think you're my one too," she said, a tad nervous. She raised a hand and set it on her chest. "I can feel it, in my heart."

Thorin rested his forehead against hers and Marissa cupped his bearded cheek. She sighed softly, her breath tickling his face.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," she murmured. "I don't want this to end."

"It doesn't have to."

"Our fathers will never allow it," she told him sadly, "and my _Adar_ will begin to wonder why I don't search for a partner. He might try to set me up with a male elf."

"You can turn down any offers you receive, and I will do the same."

"What happens when you become king? When people expect you to settle down and find a queen and have heirs? Even if our fathers allowed our union, your people would never accept an elf for a Queen or half-breeds for heirs," she said, trying to make him think ahead. She would rather their relationship end here and now than some time in the future when he would be forced to find a suitable _dwarf_ Queen and have _dwarven_ children. She didn't think she could bear falling for him anymore and then having to watch as he's torn from her and married to another woman. To have to watch him create children with another would break her heart. Sadness flashed through her eyes as he curled his fingers around her chin, lifting her head.

"We will deal with it when the time comes," Thorin whispered and sealed his promise with a kiss.

* * *

Later that day, when her belongings had been packed and saddled to her horse, Marissa followed her father and brother along the bridge to the throne to say their farewells—their guards and Tauriel followed behind them at a reasonable distance.

As they got closer, Marissa couldn't help but sneak a glance at her Thorin, her _one._ He glanced at her too and sent a quick wink and a smirk in her direction. She grinned, biting her lip as she looked away to find Legolas looking between her and Thorin sternly. Marissa's smile dropped and she lowered her head.

"King Thror," Thranduil greeted smoothly. "Thank you for your invitation and your hospitality." The dwarf king nodded in return and a dark haired dwarf stepped forward, holding a large chest in his hands. He walked over and stopped in front of the elves. Thranduil walked forward with his children flanking him. Marissa knew exactly what was in the chest—the white gems of Lasgalen. The very jewels her father had sent to Erebor years ago to be made into jewellery for her mother before she passed away. They were the jewels the dwarves had refused to return to their rightful owners—until now.

The dwarf opened the chest and the three royal elves' eyes widened as they looked down at the gems. The ethereal light from the gems made their eyes glow with pure white light.

Marissa watched closely as her father reached out for the chest… only for the dwarf to slam the lid shut, almost taking off her father's fingers.

"What—?" Marissa's eyes widened in disbelief, as did the eyes of the other elves and Thorin and his brother and father. Her dwarf prince sent a look on confusion up at his grandfather, who simply smirked smugly at the Elvenking.

A look of pure anger crossed Thranduil's face before it settled into the usual stone cold mask. He turned away, the silver material of his robe twirling around his legs at the movement. He took Marissa's hand and pulled her after him with the others following immediately.

" _What's going on?_ " Marissa asked in hush elvish, grasping her father's hand tightly. " _Adar?_ "

" _Our friendship with the dwarves is over,_ " he replied swiftly as they made their way towards the door to the throne room. " _They will receive no trade wear from us until that foolish little mountain man comes to his senses._ "

Marissa found herself lowering her head at his words, her heart felt heavy within her chest.

She didn't look back once, not even when her heart and mind—and Thorin's too—begged and screamed at her to just turn around so she could see the sorrow, confusion and the apologetic look on his handsome face.

She refused to listen to her heart.


	7. Chapter 6 - Return to Sender

**Khuz-dul Translations –**

 **Gimlelul _–_** My Brightest Star

 **Kurdu _–_** My Heart

 **Elvish Translations _–_**

 **A'maelamin _–_** My beloved

 **Adar _–_** Father

 ** _(Tivona isn't actually Elvish, its Hebrew and means 'Loves Nature', which I thought was fitting because Marissa's a huge nature lover and she communicates with the land and the animals a lot more than her kin does.)_**

* * *

 **'** **Some people get into your head and stay there,'**

 **\- Lauren Branning, Eastenders. (24/03/2014)**

* * *

Two months had passed since Marissa's time in Erebor and the separation from Thorin had taken its toll on her, she lacked the energy and determination her kind usually had and she put barely any thought into her appearance any more, she would simply tie her hair back in a ponytail and throw a dress on—just so she would look semi-presentable should anyone come past her chambers, not that many did—they'd learned the hard way that she didn't want to be disturbed—because she'd thrown a candle holder at Elion the one time he'd been asked to fetch her for her father. No one else bothered entering her chambers, they would simply knock and wait there until she finally opened the door and begrudgingly agreed to go with them.

Her kin were utterly perplexed at her foul mood and rude behaviour, they couldn't figure out what had put their beloved princess into such a state. Many thought it was due to Thror refusing to give them back the white gems but others thought it was because she had to spend so long around the savage little mountain dwellers. Only three people knew the truth—one knew because Marissa had told her everything and the other two had received letters about her sudden decline in behaviour and they'd been sharing letters ever since.

Marissa's brother had decided to call in reinforcements in the form of Arwen, Elrohir and Elladan and the trio had arrived one fine, sunny afternoon in July and her female cousin tracked her down in the gardens, sitting beside the large pond and feeding the fish.

"Marissa," Arwen called out, strolling across the grass towards her cousin. Marissa looked up briefly in surprise before going back to throw fish food to the numerous fish gathered around her feet and ankles.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"Your brother asked us to come," Arwen replied, getting straight to the point. She sat down beside her, crossing her legs underneath her. "He's worried about you. We all are."

Marissa's heart clenched painfully at the concern in her cousin's voice and she snuck a glance at her. Arwen was staring at her patiently, a small smile playing at her lips.

"You shouldn't be. I-I'm fine," Marissa said quietly, turning her eyes back to the fish in the pond.

"We both know that's not true," Arwen told her disapprovingly. Marissa shrugged in response as she threw the rest of the fish food into the pond and the fish swam after it. "Everyone is trying to figure out what's going on, but you won't let anyone get close enough to help you."

"I… its Thorin. He's been sending me letters every week since we left the mountain," Marissa admitted, knowing she could trust her cousin to keep her secret.

"What has he been saying?" Arwen asked softly.

"He told me he didn't know what his grandfather was going to do. He keeps apologising and begging me to answer him. He wants to meet with me."

"You've been ignoring him?"

"I know it's stupid, but I just can't bring myself to write to him. What if he hates me for not writing to him? What if he knew about the gems and he's lying to me?" Marissa whispered, looking to her cousin for advice.

"Oh, Marissa," Arwen sighed and wrapped an arm around Marissa's shoulders, she tried to hold back a wince as Marissa's ice cold hands brushed against her skin. "I do not believe your doubt will persist. The dwarf prince cares for you beyond measure, I've seen it. I've also seen how you feel about him."

"We were meant for each other," Marissa smiled sadly, eyes stinging with the onset of tears. "I know it won't make any sense to the others and they'll think I'm crazy but it's true. I can feel it, in here," she moved a hand down and placed two fingers over her heart. "I know it's all so sudden and that our kin will just assume that he's a passing fancy of mine but he's not—I… I feel like I was only truly happy when I was near him and now that we're apart, my heart aches. _Adar_ said it feels like you're dying when you're apart from your other half and it does. I feel like I'm dying."

Arwen hugged her cousin tighter, stroking her pale blonde hair as the other female began crying, her pain and sorrow filling the air. Arwen shushed her gently, rocking back and forth.

"He's your _a'maelamin,_ isn't he?" Arwen asked carefully.

"Yes. He's my one," Marissa agreed tearfully. "I… I think I love him."

"Come," Arwen said suddenly as she stood up and started tugging at Marissa's icy hands.

"Where are we going?" Marissa blinked in surprise but allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and dragged towards the palace.

"You need a bath and a change of clothes," Arwen grinned mischievously. "And you have a letter to write."

Marissa didn't even try to hold back the stream of giggles that spilled past her lips. She hiked her skirt up and started running, leaving Arwen no choice but to run as well so she wouldn't fall.

* * *

Half an hour later, Marissa was lounging in her large bath tub while Arwen sat behind her and worked out all the knots from her hair. The two of them were chatting away, laughing as they recalled the shocked looks on Marissa's guards' faces when they caught sight of the happy grin on her face and the familiar sparkle in her purple eyes.

"T-they looked like they were going to faint," Marissa chuckled. Arwen nodded in agreement as she started rubbing the scented oil into Marissa's long hair. The violet eyed elf ducked obediently under the water a few minutes after Arwen was done to wash the product from her hair.

"I think they underestimated how much influence I have," Arwen smiled, politely turning away as Marissa washed her body before rinsing off and taking the offered towel from her cousin.

"I couldn't agree more, cousin," Marissa replied, taking Arwen's offered hand and climbing out of the tub. She walked over to her closet and picked out the first dress she saw before hurrying behind the room divider to dry herself and get dressed. "I do wish Legolas had been there though, he would've been the most shocked out of them."

"I don't doubt it," Arwen said in amusement. "Legolas is quite the drama queen when he wants to be."

"I think he gets it from our father," Marissa admitted. She walked over to Arwen and stood still as her cousin tightened the ribbons on the back of her dress before tying them.

"It's time to write your letter, Mari," Arwen told her gently, guiding her over to the desk. Marissa bobbed her head in the form of a nervous nod as she allowed herself to be pushed down onto the velvet-cushioned chair.

"I don't know what I should say." Marissa raised her head, staring at her cousin pleadingly. Arwen smiled softly in response, a fond look crossing her beautiful face.

"Write from the heart," she advised, placing a pure white quill in Marissa's hand.

Marissa nodded, her hand moving of its own accord towards the ink well next to her hand mirror. She dipped the tip in and wiped off the excess ink before she moved to the paper in front of her. She hesitated briefly before a small smile settled on her lips as she started writing.

 _Dear Thorin,_

 _I know it's been a long time since we last communicated and for that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ignored your letters for such a lengthy period of time, but I just couldn't find the courage to write to you. It's only thanks to my cousin, Arwen that I've found my courage again long enough to finally write to you._

 _I am so sorry for not returning your letters. I couldn't help but think that you were involved with keeping the heirlooms of my people from us, even though you have sworn time and time again that you didn't know anything. I should have trusted your word. I should've trusted that you wouldn't lie to me._

 _I hope you can forgive me for my momentary lapse in trust, though I understand if you can't._

 _I just want you to know that my feelings for you haven't changed, nor will they ever. If anything, I think they will only grow. I hope the same goes for you._

 _If it is not too much trouble, I would like to meet with you, face-to-face so we can make amends with one another. I will be travelling to Rivendell the day after tomorrow with my cousins to spend some time with them, if you wish to meet me, we'll be passing through the Grey Mountains in about three days' time._

 _I hope you'll meet me._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Marissa Tivona._

Marissa took a deep breath as she signed her name at the end of the letter and then put the quill down. Arwen squeezed her shoulder gently and offered her a reassuring smile.

"We'll have to let your father know you're coming to Rivendell."

"He won't say no, not as long as you're there to bat your eyelids at him," Marissa teased. Arwen chuckled and pushed Marissa gently.

"We will go and see uncle Thranduil, but _first,_ I believe there is someone at your doors waiting to deliver the letter to a certain dwarf," Arwen said as she crossed the room and opened the balcony doors. A black raven with a white underbelly flew into the room, cawing loudly as it settled on the arm of Marissa's chair.

"Hello there, little friend," Marissa greeted politely, rolling up her letter as soon as the ink was dry and tied it securely to the raven's thin leg. The bird cawed again until Marissa reached for the small jar of bird seeds she'd taken to keeping in her room seeing as the bird had refused to leave until she wrote a letter back to Thorin—she just assumed that the dwarf had told the raven to stay until Marissa finally gave in, so she'd decided to just start feeding the bird so he wouldn't go hungry. "I trust you will get this to Prince Thorin as soon as possible… and that you'll bring a responding letter back to me."

The raven bobbed its head before stretching its small wings and flying towards the open doors. The two elf maids watched until the bird had disappeared from sight before they left Marissa's chambers and made their way to Thranduil's private study.

* * *

In the large library, deep in the mountain about two days' ride from the Woodland Realm, sat a young dwarf prince with deep black hair and piercing grey-blue eyes with two of his friends by his side.

The flap of wings had the previously-withdrawn dwarf prince sitting up eagerly, his expression becoming more alert. His friends glanced at him in confusion, wondering what had gotten such a reaction from him. Their silent questions were answered when a raven flew into the room, ignoring the indignant shouts from the librarian.

"Ronan!" Thorin exclaimed joyfully. The raven cawed in reply, bowing his head before holding his left leg out. Thorin untied the letter from the bird and eagerly unrolled it, his eyes skimming over the words carefully.

He felt his heart swell as he read that his elf-maid was worried that he was going to be angry with her and that she'll always care for him, no matter what happens.

"Thorin? What is it laddie?" Balin asked curiously, seeing the wide smile that covered his friend's face.

"She's replied, Balin," Thorin replied boisterously. "She's finally replied to me."

"Ah, I see… and she being…?"

"It's a secret," the dwarf prince explained carefully.

"Ye've landed yerself a secret bit on the side then?" Dwalin smirked, slapping Thorin's arm roughly. Thorin shook his head, glaring fiercely at the younger dwarf.

"She is _not_ just a bit on the side," Thorin growled and Dwalin and Balin were quick to raise their eyebrows and their hands in surrender. "She's important to me."

"Can you at least tell us her name?" Balin asked gently. Thorin hesitated before nodding in acceptance.

"Her name is Mari," Thorin explained, knowing better than to give them her full name. He trusted them beyond doubt but one could never be too careful when it came to eavesdroppers and spies who would report back to his grandfather.

"Is she a local? Or is she from the Iron Hills?"

"She's a local… you could say," Thorin replied slyly.

"Ah, so she's either from Erebor or she stays in the city of Dale." Balin nodded thoughtfully, watching as Thorin pulled a handful of parchment towards him and dipped his quill in ink, preparing to write back to the mysterious 'Mari'. "I hope you know what you're doing laddie."

"Don't worry, old friend," Thorin assured him, looking up briefly with a large, happy grin before he dropped his gaze back down to the empty parchment. "I know _exactly_ what I'm doing."

* * *

 _Dear Marissa,_

 _Words cannot describe how relieved I am to hear from you after so long. I'm glad you're all right and have decided to answer me._

 _I'll keep this letter short. I would be glad to meet you at the time and place you've suggested, though I will have to think up an excuse for my father and grandfather. I do not think they would let me go if they knew I was going to you._

 _I will most likely be accompanied by my brother, Frerin and possibly two of my closest friends. If that is alright with you?_

 _I also wish for you to know that my feelings for you will never change either. I cannot even fathom the idea of feeling anything but respect and, hopefully sometime soon,_ love _for you, Gimlelul. My Kurdu._

 _Yours faithfully,_

 _Prince Thorin II of Durin._


	8. Chapter 7 - Warrior Queen

**_'True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes.'_**

 ** _\- Anonymous._**

* * *

 ** _8th July, 2769_**

 ** _The Grey Mountains_**

At the base of the Grey Mountains, four elves sat around a camp fire, talking quietly amongst themselves as the warm air slowly began to grow colder and the sun faded completely from the sky.

"Do you think he will come?" the tall elf with light hair and violet eyes asked lowly, leaning closer to her female companion.

"He said he would, Marissa."

"I know that. But what if he changes his mind?" Marissa countered, eyes flicking up to meet her cousin's.

"Then he is a fool who doesn't know what he's missing out on," Arwen replied calmly. Marissa couldn't help the smile that tugged her lips upwards at that. She shook her head in amusement, her loose curls bouncing around her face.

"You always know how to get rid of my worries."

"Someone has to, otherwise you'd be a nervous wreck half the time," Arwen smirked. Marissa snorted and pushed her cousin gently, almost causing the other elf to topple off of the log she was sitting on.

"Would you two quit your yapping," Elladan hissed. The two elf maiden's turned in unison to find their brother and cousin clutching his sheathed sword with tight fingers.

"What's wrong?" Marissa asked immediately, taking note of the bow and notched arrow in her other cousin's hands.

"There's a group of Orc scouts approaching," Elrohir explained quietly. Marissa and Arwen both tuned into their surroundings, and sure enough, they could make out the pounding footsteps and guttural grunts and snarls that could only belong to Orcs. "We need to move quickly. Marissa, put the fire out, Arwen, grab our packs and hide in the cave over there."

The two females nodded, jumping into action. Marissa dumped her waterlogged cloak over the fire, effectively putting it out and smothering the smoke that would've filled the air. Arwen quickly reattached their packs to the horses and whispered to them in Elvish until they nickered softly and followed her to the cave that would be big enough to house four horses.

"How many are there?" Marissa questioned as she tightened the vambraces around her lower arms and picked up her sword.

"20, maybe less," Elrohir replied. He raised his bow and pulled the string back, already getting into the mind frame of battle so he would be prepared to take down the first Orc that appeared.

"Okay. Are we sticking with the old plan or is there a new one?"

"The old plan, we don't have time to come up with a new plan."

Marissa nodded, strapping her sword around her waist. "I'll take the axe wielding ones, you take the archers and Arwen and Elladan will take the others."

"Sounds about right," Elrohir agreed, sharing a smirk with her cousin. "I think it would be best if I took to somewhere high – I'll have a better vantage point from there."

Marissa turned her head, looking around their campsite until she spotted a small ledge a little way up from the entrance to the cave where their horses were hidden safely away. "Up there. It's out of sight and you'll have a good shot at them."

"Good spotting, little doe," Elladan congratulated her as he and Arwen re-joined them. Marissa scowled at the childhood nickname, her eyebrows dipping down as she pulled her sword free from its sheath.

"You three get into position, I'll aid you from my perch up there," Elrohir ordered, gaining nods of agreement from his family members. He dashed away just as the first line of Orcs came bursting through the trees.

"Be careful," Marissa told her cousins quietly. Arwen brushed her fingers against Marissa's arm gently, nodding her agreement and then they were off, swinging and slicing their way through the first group of Orcs. Marissa ducked down just in time to avoid a swing that would've taken her head off. She shoved her sword upwards, trying to ignore the discomfort she felt as the blade slid through the Orc with ease and lines of black blood ran down her sword.

More Orcs were quick to replace the ones Arwen, Marissa and Elladan cut down with their swords and Elrohir with his bow and arrows. The three elves on the ground soon found themselves overwhelmed and the siblings and their cousin moved closer together, their backs pressing against each other.

* * *

Just down the path from the Grey Mountains, two dwarf princes strolled along with their two most loyal friends by their sides. The four of them were talking and laughing amongst themselves when the sound of fighting met their ears.

"What was that?" Frerin asked as the group stopped abruptly. A pain filled scream pierced the air and Thorin was quick to make a few gestures in Iglishmek before they all started moving again, tucking their packs into a crack in the wall nearby and pulled their weapons out.

" _Stay together. Don't let anything catch you off guard,_ " Thorin warned lowly in Khuzdul. The others nodded, tightening their hold on their weapons as they slowly crept forwards.

The dwarves made it to the treeline and peered out cautiously. At first, nothing seemed out of place, until they caught movement up ahead and discovered a small group of elves trying to hold off a large Orc pack. One of the females was back to back with one of the males and the other two were twirling, slicing and stabbing their way through their opponents.

"Thorin. Thorin, didn't Mari say she was meeting us here with her cousins?" Frerin whispered to his brother. Thorin nodded before growing cold, his heart skipping a beat.

"That's Mari," the eldest dwarf prince replied quietly, pointing at the elf maid as she threw herself into a forwards roll to avoid getting stabbed—she was on her feet seconds later, slicing the head off of the orc that attacked her. It was obvious the elves could hold their own, but more Orcs just kept pouring into the clearing and they didn't have enough fighters to hold them all off. Thorin moved in immediately, ramming his sword into the neck of an Orc that had been inches away from stabbing Marissa in the back—she sent him a surprised look and a small smile before rushing back into the fight.

" _We need to move in, now,_ " Frerin told Dwalin and Balin. " _They need help._ "

"Aye, that they do, laddie," Balin agreed. They exchanged nods and then they were charging into battle, shouting war cries and raising their weapons high.

The Orcs didn't see them coming until it was too late and between the four of them and the four elves, they were quick to wipe out the remaining Orcs.

* * *

"It's good to see you, Prince Thorin," one of the twins greeted, sheathing his sword. "Your timing is impeccable."

"So I can see," Thorin replied with a sly smirk.

"If you two are finished joking around, I would like to get a move on before more of them appear," Marissa ordered sternly and Thorin didn't think she could look any more like a warrior queen if she tried—the top section of her hair had been pulled back and braided off at the back of her head, she had cuts and bruises all over her face and arms, her travel gear was torn in numerous places and bloodstained but she held herself tall and proud, knowing that she held her own and took down just as many enemies as her cousins and the dwarves. She sheathed her sword and rubbed at a scratch running through her eyebrow.

"Don't pick that," Thorin said suddenly. Marissa's eyes jumped to him and she smiled, hand falling from her face.

"I'm glad you're here," she said softly, well aware of the eyes on them. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," he replied honestly. He moved his body slightly to block the other dwarves' gaze and linked his fingers through hers, squeezing her hand gently.

"You brought your friends with you," she noted, looking over at them. "Can we trust them?"

"Yes. I would trust them with my life," he explained. Marissa nodded and quickly pulled her hand free as the other dwarves slowly made their way over.

"Maybe we should keep this a secret for now," Marissa whispered. "We can tell them when we're in the safety of Imladris."

"I agree," Thorin nodded thoughtfully. "I do not think you would like to spend the entire journey with Dwalin glaring at you."

"Is he the angry looking one with the Mohawk?" Marissa asked, amused. Thorin nodded with a grin.

"Dwalin, Balin, this is Marissa, Princess of the Woodland Realm," Thorin introduced as his friends reached their sides. Dwalin grunted his reply whereas his brother bowed lowly, claiming he was at her service. Marissa inclined her head in respect, repeating the gesture. "Mari, this is my two oldest friends, Dwalin and Balin, sons of Fundin."

"If you could gather your packs, we'll get moving as soon as possible," Marissa said, clearing her throat at their confused looks and turned away, making her way back over to her cousins.

"Ye have a lot of explaining to do, laddie," Dwalin growled as he turned to Thorin.

* * *

Almost two weeks later found the group trekking through yet another heavily wooded area that would take them to the outskirts of the Hidden Valley. The dwarves had refused to ride on the horses with the Elves, so Marissa and her cousins had decided that, they too, would walk and just lead their horses—even if it meant their journey would take longer than they would've liked. Thorin had been right about Dwalin and Balin not liking Marissa, though Balin was more subtle about it. The two dwarves would send her accusing glances whenever they thought she wasn't looking and would turn their heads away when she move her gaze to them. Dwalin had also taken great pleasure in making Marissa feel as uncomfortable as possible, something that Frerin caught onto and then told his brother.

Thorin wasn't too happy to learn of this and as soon as he was done talking to his brother, he made his way over to his oldest friends.

"So, what do you think of the Princess?"

"…She seems nice," Balin replied after a minute of silence.

"Really?" Thorin mused quietly. "Then tell me, why is it you keep treating her with disrespect and belittling her every chance you get?"

Dwalin and his brother both looked uncomfortable at their Prince's words as they shared a glance before turning back to Thorin.

"We just don't understand, laddie," Balin admitted. "Why you would risk the wrath of your grandfather just so you could fool around with an elf? Especially _that_ elf."

The three of them looked over at Marissa, who was braiding her cousin's hair. She glanced up suddenly, eyes flickering between them in confusion before she smiled slightly at Thorin and went back to Elrohir's hair.

"I'm not fooling around with her."

"Then what are ye doin'?" Dwalin countered.

"I'll explain it to you soon," Thorin promised. He stood up, turning away from them and heading over to the elves. Marissa greeted him happily, nudging him with her elbow as he commented on the neat, intricate braid she was weaving into Elrohir's hair.


	9. Chapter 8 - I Got You

**Author's Note –**

 **Khuz-Dul Translations –**

 **Gimlelul –** my brightest star

 **Elvish Translations –**

 **Amin mela lle –** I love you

* * *

Marissa and her cousins stopped suddenly, causing the dwarves to skid to a stop as well. Thorin stepped forward, glancing up at his one in confusion.

"Mari, why have we stopped?"

"We're at one of the entrances to the Hidden Valley," she explained with an eager smile before she left his side, darting ahead of the group towards a tall tree with branches that stretched up towards the sky.

The rest of the group followed after her at a steady pace, the dwarves watching, intrigued, as the elf maid ducked behind the large tree and brushed aside a few handfuls of leaves and twigs to reveal a set of medium sized brown doors. She opened them and stepped back so the dwarves could see the stairs that led down into the darkness.

"After you," she said, gesturing to the darkness with her right hand.

"Not a chance, lassie," Dwalin growled, glaring daggers at her. "You first."

Marissa bit her tongue in an attempt to keep a few choice words back and she nodded begrudgingly. She stepped over the entrance and lowered herself down onto the top step.

"Follow me, if you can see," she returned sweetly before spinning away with a smirk. Thorin shook his head in amusement and was the first to follow Marissa.

" _Come on, stop being so stubborn,_ " Frerin snorted, jostling Dwalin and Balin with his elbows as he headed after his brother.

"You can stay here if you like, but I can promise you that you'll be attacked by orcs come nightfall," Marissa called back. Arwen and Elrohir slipped past the dwarves and into the passageway.

"Let's go, brother," Balin sighed in defeat and trudged after the elves. Dwalin grumbled but did as his said.

Elladan grinned at the dwarves' discomfort and sealed up the entrance again. He clucked his tongue and the horses walked slowly down the wide staircase after him.

* * *

"Welcome, master dwarves, to the Hidden Valley," Marissa smiled widely, staring around her surroundings in awe—she doubted she would ever get used to the beauty of Imladris.

"This is incredible," Frerin uttered, glancing up at his brother's one.

"I've been here many time throughout my life and yet the beauty of this place never ceases to amaze me," she replied honestly, returning his bright smile.

"Come on, I want to see more!" Frerin said boisterously, grabbing Marissa's hand and dragging her away from the group along one of the nearby bridges. Marissa sent a flabbergasted look back at her dwarf partner—Thorin just raised an eyebrow and grinned, making no attempt to rescue her from the hands of his hyperactive younger brother.

"You walk fast for someone with such short legs," Marissa teased as she increased her pace.

"It's a gift," Frerin replied. "You know, it's a wonder you elves can make it through each day without tripping over your too-long legs."

Marissa chuckled immediately. "It's called being graceful," she explained. "Something which dwarves seem to clearly lack."

"I'll have you know that dwarves are above being _graceful._ We are far more skilled at weapons making and fighting than elves," he retorted, sticking his nose up in a joking manner. "Being graceful is for pansies."

"Are you calling me a pansy?" Marissa asked, her brow raising.

"If the shoe fits," he snorted.

"Oh, I'll show you," she whispered, right before she swung out with her sheathed sword—it hit the back of Frerin's knees and knocked his feet out from under him, he hit the ground with a startled yell. "You were saying?" she asked mockingly as she tied her sword back around her waist.

Frerin groaned, completely winded from the sudden attack. "T-that you're not a pansy and your gracefulness comes in handy."

"That's what I thought," Marissa nodded smugly and made no attempt to help the golden haired dwarf up. Thorin approached seconds later and glanced between his fallen brother and Marissa in confusion.

"What happened here?"

"Your brother questioned my skills as a warrior, so I taught him a lesson," Marissa explained, everything about her screaming smug. "I don't think he'll forget it, will you, Frerin?"

Frerin shook his head quickly. "Nope. Definitely not."

"Honestly brother," Thorin shook his head. He held a hand out and helped his brother up. "Why did you think it was a good idea to challenge her?"

"I'll not do it again, I assure you," Frerin promised, bowing to Marissa. She grinned and ruffled his hair in response.

"We should go now. I have to let my uncle know we've arrived," she said and set her hands on their shoulders, guiding them forward.

Arwen, her brothers and the other two dwarves caught up to them eventually and the group continued on to greet Lord Elrond and get settled in in their lodgings for the next few weeks.

* * *

A few days later—after explaining to Elrond why the dwarves were with them, they'd shown their guests to their rooms before retiring to their own rooms—Marissa was in her room, lying on her bed and mending a hole in her favourite silver tunic. A knock sounded at the door and she looked up quickly, a curious glint in her eyes.

"Come in," she called out.

"Hello, Mari," Thorin greeted, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

"Thorin," she smiled happily as she set her stuff down and swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Thorin walked over to her and set his hands on her knees. Marissa cupped his cheeks and sealed their lips together. One of Thorin's large hands strayed to arm and down to her waist, he curled his fingers around her side and pulled her closer. Marissa went willingly, moving her knees apart so Thorin could take a step closer.

Thorin's grip on her tightened, gaining a gasp of surprise from the elf, Thorin took the chance slip his tongue into her mouth and engage hers in a battle for dominance that he won quite quickly. Marissa slipped back on the bed, moving to give Thorin space to climb up beside her.

"W-we shouldn't do this," Marissa whispered, moaning softly as Thorin straddled her, his lips trailing down to the sensitive skin of her neck. The dwarf paused briefly before he pulled back to look at her.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he replied quietly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I won't rush you or push you into anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Marissa hesitated, staring up at him with an unsure glint in her light eyes. The only thing she saw in his gaze was genuine honesty and respect.

"I don't want you to stop," she admitted and felt surprised at her own words. "I only want _you_."

"Let me give myself to you."

Marissa nodded, unable to hide her eagerness. " _Yes._ "

Thorin moved back in immediately, bringing their lips together in a rough kiss. Marissa's fingers slid down to his tunic and she slowly pulled it up his chest before helping him tug it up and over his head, the article of clothing was thrown haphazardly to the floor. Thorin broke their kiss in favour of getting to work on removing the top layer of Marissa's dress to reveal her thick, white underdress.

He then untied the lacing on her underdress and started to tug it open, exposing small patches of her pale skin with each tug. Marissa tugged him back up and kissed him deeply. Thorin returned it quickly, though his fingers didn't stray from their task of ridding her of her white dress.

* * *

A gasp of pure pleasure tumbled from Marissa's lips, her undeniable need filling the air. Her thin fingers clutched the bedsheets so tightly she was afraid of ripping them in half. "T-Thorin," she whimpered desperately. Her chest was heaving with every deep breath she drew in and then let out roughly. "Please. I-I _need_ you. I _want_ you."

Thorin froze, his beard scratching her skin as he looked up from where he was kissing and sucking marks into her stomach. His stormy eyes locked on hers and he could immediately see the desperation in her pale green orbs.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a rough voice. Marissa's head bobbed up and down in the form of a nod and Thorin wasted no time, he surged upwards and occupied her mouth with a rough, lingering kiss.

"Please," she pleaded again. Thorin stroked her cheek softly, reassuringly and then moved his hand down towards her entrance. A hiss of discomfort slipped out as Thorin gently pushed his thick fingers inside her and he immediately stilled, looking at her carefully, waiting for the go-ahead. She bit her lip and nodded once. Thorin slowly pushed his fingers in deeper and moved them apart bit by bit, stretching her open in preparation. Marissa winced every so often, wrapping her fingers around his thick shoulders. She had to stifle a moan as the discomfort swiftly turned to pleasure.

"Are you alright?" Thorin questioned softly. He stared down at her in worry, taking in her parted lips and her squeezed-shut eyes.

"I-I'm fine," she whispered as she forced her eyes open. Thorin hesitated before continuing what he was doing, he stared at her intently, looking for any sign that she wanted to stop. Thorin smiled in relief when he didn't see any. He found his own pleasure in watching _his_ elf maid moan and writhe beneath him without restraint.

"Marissa… _Mari,_ " Thorin said, gaining Marissa's attention. She looked up at him curiously. "If you need to take a break or you want me to stop, just _tell me._ "

"I will. I promise," she agreed. Thorin removed his fingers and lined himself up at her entrance. Marissa raised her hand, biting down on her fist at the pain that tore through her, tears sprung to her eyes as Thorin slowly pushed in.

"Mari, it's _alright._ Just _breathe,_ " he encouraged lightly, moving his hands up to clutch hers. Marissa tried desperately to do as he said, she tried to get her body to relax, to welcome the intrusion of Thorin's large shaft. "I won't do anything until you say so."

"I-it hurts," she whimpered. Every time she moved her body, a new wave of pain shot through her.

"I know," Thorin told her soothingly. His forehead came to rest on hers and he gazed into her tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry." Thorin kept his word, remaining absolutely still until, slowly but surely, the pain started to lessen and Marissa found she could move without feeling like she was being stabbed. She pulled one hand free and curled her fingers around his side, telling him without words that she was ready. "Are you sure?"

" _Please,_ " she replied almost inaudibly. Thorin gently eased his hips forward, pushing deeper into her. Marissa's body tensed up briefly at the discomfort before she forced herself to relax, she leaned up and locked her lips with Thorin's, engaging him in a long, steamy kiss as he started thrusting into her, the pain she felt morphed into pleasure. A sharp moan escaped as he hit the same spot as before and heat filled her entire body. "T-Thorin!" she moaned, moving her head aside to give him more room as he latched onto her neck and began biting and sucking at her smooth, porcelain skin.

"I love you, _Gimlelul_ ," Thorin whispered against her neck. His rough voice sent a jolt of pleasure shooting through her and she moved her hips down to meet his thrusts.

" _Amin mela lle,_ " Marissa sighed in response.

A few more thrusts and Marissa was sent over the edge, her body arching up into Thorin's as white covered her vision. She let out a strangled moan at the sensation that overwhelmed her. Thorin followed her over the edge moments later, finding his release with a roar and a jerk of his hips.

The dwarf prince slumped against her, and when her vision cleared, she locked her gaze on him and smiled softly as she raised a hand and cupped the back of his head. Thorin raised his head after a few minutes and smiled down at her.

"Are you all right?"

"Never better," she replied shyly, cheeks flushing. "What about you? Was it… was I… _satisfactory?_ "

"You were wonderful." Thorin leaned in and kissed her gently. Marissa's lips curved up into a smile at his words and she returned the kiss eagerly. A quiet whimper slipped from her lips as he nipped at her jawline and trailed a couple of kisses down to her collarbone.

"Thorin…" She curled a few strands of his hair around her fingers and gently tugged on them. He winced and pulled back to look at her.

"What?"

"We can do this again, another day," she said firmly. Thorin nodded and moved away, flopping over onto his back. Marissa curled up beside him and rested her cheek on his chest. Thorin slipped an arm around her and began trailing his fingers up and down her side. "Can you stay here, with me?"

"I'll never leave your side, if that's what you need," he assured her softly.

"I love you," she said in reply, closing her eyes and relaxing against him.

"I love you too."


End file.
